Star Wars Episode I: Darkness Rising
by AngelDesaray
Summary: It's a dark time for the Republic! A lone figure, DARTH VADER, is terrorizing the Outer Rim with his fearsome Stormwarriors. Many systems, led by Rush Clovis, agree that an army should be raised to fight the terrorists. Bail Oragana leads the opposition against the act. The Jedi Order is torn on what to do! So, Qui-Gon and his padawan have been sent to find VADER's true identity...
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I, nor jediobiwanskywalker own Star Wars, though we both want to haha**_

_**For this story, jediobiwanskywalker is the brain, I'm the pen heh (Or keyboard in this case)**_

_**So...Darkness Rising...**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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><p><strong>(3 ABY)<strong>

Sidious has always prided himself to be a mastermind, an expert planner, and someone ready for any situation that could possibly be thrown his way.

How else would he have managed to bring the Republic to its knees, establish an Empire, and wipe out the Jedi in one clean move?

Of course, none of that could have worked as well as it did had it not been for his apprentice.

_If only Vader had not been so foolish that he allowed those cursed injuries back on Mustafar,_ Sidious fumed silently to himself.

Which just so happens to be one of the reasons Sidious is here now, walking these dim halls of the deep underground of Byss, the same place where he keeps the clones he will use to maintain eternal life.

There is another clone here that Sidious has been keeping careful watch over; a clone that is not one of his own.

Sidious silently entered his cloning chamber, eyes executing a quick sweep of the room as he crossed to the darkest corner of the secret chamber.

There it was: his insurance policy.

When Vader had learned of the identity of the pilot that had blown up the Death Star, Sidious knew that the information would be a problem. Ever since the name _Skywalker_ had been uncovered, since Vader had realized that the rebel could be his son, Sidious had sensed a division in his apprentice.

This clone…it would serve to replace Vader should his apprentice decide to try and turn his back on the dark side. Not that anyone had ever returned after being so deeply entrenched for as long as Vader had.

But, Sidious prided himself in being ready for anything.

Besides; this clone was much more whole than Vader. It was missing no limbs, and was young; the age of twenty-two. The only problem—a detail that frustrated Sidious, though he was sure that it would not ruin his plans much—was that the clone did have an imperfection. Something had happened during the cloning process, and his lungs could not function properly without help. There was a possibility that this imperfection could disappear sometime in the future, but even if it didn't, the clone was still much healthier than the original Vader.

Still, like Vader, the clone would need a life support suit. At least, if everything worked out right, for a little while.

Sidious smiled to himself, running a hand down the glass of the clone's tank. _You are ready_, he thought to himself. _It is time to prepare you to take Vader's place at my side._

Sidious had let Vader pursue his obsession with Skywalker, if only to keep his apprentice away from his extracurricular activities. It would certainly be _misfortunate _if Vader came across his clone. Now, Sidious would finish the long process he had been developing for twenty-two years since Vader had gained his injuries on Mustafar. This clone would wait in the wings to take Vader's place.

Sidious did have a slight concern about the memory implant procedure he was about to conduct. He was hoping to leave out certain details, such as Vader's marriage to Senator Amidala, or any other attachments. He was hoping to pick out certain memories to give to the clone; only the most necessary memories, so as to bring about the most efficient servant. Everything else was in place. It was just this delicate step that remained.

Sidious stepped aside, allowing the fluid of the cloning tank to drain before he released the clone from the tank. The clone gasped unsuccessfully for breath as it fell to the floor, and Sidious' droids had to work quickly to provide the clone with the life support it needed to survive. Sidious had already given them strict instructions to replicate the life support panel on Vader's suit.

Sidious remained in the shadows, waiting patiently for the droids to finish their work. When it was done, Sidious emerged, studying the clone now fully dressed in an exact replica of Vader's armor. Of course, this clone's helmet and mask was not required. It was simply there for accuracy, to perfect the duplication of Vader so the replacement would be unnoticeably. Confusion came off of the clone in waves, as well as fear.

"Come with me," Sidious hissed, startling the clone. The clone stood shakily, obeying the command automatically as Sidious made his way down one of the dark hallways.

"W…who a-am I? Where…am I? Who a-are…you?" the clone asked from behind him.

"You are _DARTH VADER, _and I am your Master. That is all you must know right now," Sidious responded with a smile.

"Where are…you taking…me?" VADER asked.

"I'm taking you to give you the memories you need. To give you _purpose_," Sidious said firmly. He pressed a lightsaber into the clone's hand; it was a perfect duplicate of the lightsaber that Vader wielded. "You will need this. What you _do_ with it will become clear in a few moments…"

The two of them entered a dark room. The only light was at the center, a light that shone on a table in an upright position with restraints firmly attached. Sidious sensed the clone hesitate behind him, but Sidious did not pause. "Get on the table, and I will give you your memories," he said silkily. It would not be a pleasant experience, but the pain would make VADER stronger.

Blindly, VADER obeyed, the restraints locking in place with a flick of Sidious' finger. The Force stirred in the room, but Sidious ignored it, descending on VADER's confined figure. VADER visibly struggled to relax as Sidious pulled out the serum he needed for the procedure.

VADER would not enjoy this, but Sidious would.

"This will only hurt a lot," Sidious said with a smirk before injecting the needle into VADER's neck. VADER shouted in pain as the thick serum slowly injected into his bloodstream. Now, as it reached his brain, he would begin to remember…

The Force shifted again, much more noticeably this time, and Sidious looked around sharply while VADER withered in pain, stretching out his senses in case there was—by some impossible chance—an intruder. As to be expected, there was none. So why was the Force…

The light above began to flicker, and a slight quake shook the room, growing in intensity.

_This is no natural event…this is the Force…it is trying to stop me from creating another Vader,_ Sidious finally decided furiously. He drew upon his dark power, intending to stop the Force from taking his apprentice.

But not even the great Darth Sidious can overcome the raw power of the Force as a whole.

The room was plunged into pure darkness, a roaring sound coming from the middle of the room. Sidious could see nothing, hear nothing. All he knew was the presence of his carefully cultivated clone was rapidly dissipating.

He shrieked in fury the same moment that everything stopped. The light was on again, everything was quiet…

And VADER was gone.

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><p>DARTH VADER opened his eyes slowly, trying to process what was happening. His entire body ached, and his head throbbed. He was—<p>

A Sith Lord. Pain did not hinder him. It made him stronger and fueled his power.

VADER felt his fist clench around the hilt of…his lightsaber, giving him some form of assurance. At least he was armed.

VADER felt a wave of frustration as he realized he did not have any of the memories that he had expected to have. The Master had said he would receive memories, but it seemed the only memories he had were memories of _how_. How to _fight_. How to call upon the _Force_. How to _pilot_. Skills was all he seemed capable of remembering—

VADER's train of thought was cut off as he sensed two other presences in the room with him. One of them was filled with the light side of the Force, and VADER immediately marked the man as an enemy. There was the sound of two lightsabers simultaneously being activated. VADER's lightsaber, and the Jedi's lightsaber.

VADER did not care who the Jedi was. All he cared was that the weak fool would die by his hand.

He saw a blazing blue blade leap out at him, which he parried with ease. The Jedi was an older man, who seemed shocked and cautious all at once. With a simple force push, VADER sent the Jedi into the wall with a sickening crack. The Jedi was not stunned for long, leaping at him with his blade held high over his head in preparation for a powerful two-handed downward strike. VADER blocked the blow with his blood red blade and quickly retaliated with a quick slice to the arm. The Jedi tried to maneuver away, but he wasn't fast enough. Because of his failure, his arm now sported a wide, smoking gash.

The Jedi brought his lightsaber around for a desperate thrust at The Sith Lord. VADER dodged the thrust with ease and slid right back into the offensive. The Jedi hopelessly tried to keep up with the cuts and slices directed at him, but VADER noticed he was tiring. Quickly, VADER executed a powerful blow on his blade, knocking his lightsaber out of his hands. VADER called the pitiful Jedi's saber to his hand, leveling both blades to the Jedi's neck.

"Who are you?" the black haired Jedi asked him, eyes wide with shock.

"Your end, Jedi," VADER snarled. Then he easily slid both blades downwards, decapitating the Jedi in one quick move.

He could sense the Kamino native making a break for the door, so he whipped around and grabbed the man in a Force choke, suspending him in the air as he glared up at him. "Where am I, and who are you?" VADER snarled.

"K-Kamino. I am the p-prime m-minister of Kamino," the frightened Kaminoan gasped.

_Kamino_, VADER thought. _Why is that familiar..?_

_Clones._

"Are you currently creating a clone army?" VADER asked. How he knew was lost to him. He just…knew. And if he could somehow possess this army…

"M-Master Sifo D-Dyas was p-placing the order b-before you k-killed him."

The perfect scheme began to fill VADER's mind, even as his memory continued to expand. "Listen very carefully to what I have to say. If you do _exactly_ as I ask, I _might_ let you live…"

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><p>VADER stood overlooking his grand army, a sick smile twisting across his face behind the mask. So many warriors, programmed to directly obey <em>him<em>, DARTH VADER. Before the prime minister's _untimely demise_, VADER had insured that the prime minister programmed each clone to be directly loyal to him, and him alone. The clone army, originally meant for the Republic—as he found out—was now his to control.

After the prime minister's passage, VADER had weeded through the other Kamino leaders, disposing of those who would not obey him and putting those who would under the strongest Dominate Mind ability he could muster, just to ensure their loyalty. His control over Kamino was sure and strong. No one would shake his grip on the planet.

Now the clones…the clones had been trained by their original, Jango Fett, as well as the other best bounty hunters in the Galaxy. He had made sure that only the best were selected as the Kaminoans had selected them, as they would also serve as Generals in his army.

Everyone on the planet knew that disloyalty, treachery of any kind, would bring an agonizing death upon their heads immediately.

Now, as VADER looked over his army—which would continue to grow every day—he thought of the fragments of memory he had received. It was not much, but it was enough to know what his next course of action would be. Two names had circled through his head, over and over in a never-ending loop.

_Anakin. Tatooine._

"Sir," came one of the Kaminoan's voice. "Your grand army is ready. Do you have a name for them?"

Once more, VADER smiled sinisterly under his mask. He let the heavy, robotic breathing that issued from the mask to unnerve them for several long moments before he finally answered.

"Stormwarriors."


	2. Chapter 1: The Beginning

_**Okay, so there was some confusion, so I'm going to clarify: VADER is in all caps to clarify that it is the clone of Vader, not Vader himself.**_

_**I had to address that first. I'm glad that the story is being enjoyed :D**_

_**Thanks for the reviews, if there's anything else that needs clarification just tell me :D**_

_**Don't forget to review and...**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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><p><em><strong>(32 BBY)<strong>_

_**Coruscant**_

"Get up Padawan. We've been summoned by the Council."

Obi-Wan Kenobi groaned softly, cracking his eyelids open to peer up at his Master's face. It was still dark, and he could only see Qui-Gon's silhouette as he slowly sat up.

"What time is it?" Obi-Wan mumbled, swinging his feet out of bed.

"Just before dawn."

That woke Obi-Wan up. "It must be pretty urgent then."

"From the tone of Mace's voice, I'd say it is."

"Isn't he always like that though?"

Qui-Gon chuckled. "He's a little more…tense than normal, how about that."

Obi-Wan sighed. "All right, give me a moment Master, I'm getting up."

"Don't take too long Obi-Wan."

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><p>It wasn't long before Obi-Wan stood beside Qui-Gon before the Jedi Council, awake; but not necessarily alert. He struggled to simply look like he was awake, figuring it was the best he could do. He was at least curious about what had the Council calling them so early in the morning.<p>

"Disturbing news, we have received, Master Qui-Gon. Stirring, trouble is, in the Wild Space Region," Master Yoda informed them grimly.

Obi-Wan frowned to himself. _Wild Space? Isn't that a little far out for the Jedi to concern themselves with?_

"We received some disturbing footage last night of events happening on the planet Faa in the Kamino system," Windu said, gesturing for everyone to watch as a holorecording appeared in the middle of the room. Even before the recording began, Obi-Wan felt a pit of foreboding settle into his gut. Whatever they were about to be shown, it wasn't good.

He was right.

Immediately, the sound of screaming came through the image that was shaking as whoever was recording the scene ran. Blaster fire was thick in the air, and civilians dropped like insects left and right. The occasional civilian fought back, felling some of the white armored soldiers that marched on the innocents. Pockets of resistance were obviously formed, and some organized resistance was spread out among the area, inflicting a decent amount of damage on the soldiers that were advancing.

Out of nowhere, a black armored…demon appeared, black cape billowing behind him as he launched himself into the lines, leaving a path of destruction and devastation with a blazing lightsaber. He cut through the civilians without any hint of hesitation, crushing the small pockets of resistance that could be seen in the video. Whoever was taking the horrific recording turned and ran into a forest, the screams fading away before the image finally swiveled to show the woman's tear streaked face. She spoke through erratic sobs, still running from the scene.

"Please…help us! T-they came o-o-out of nowhere, he-he called them s-s-stromwarriors and…he's t-terrible. A m-monster! He k-killed my f-f-family. I b-b-b-barely got away and—oh that h-h-horrible b-b-breathing! He-he's in a l-l-life support s-s-s-suit—"

The woman cut off, suddenly looking off into the distance. "They're coming," she whispered, fear filling her features. "I have to go! Please, help us!"

With that, the recording ended.

There was dead silence in the room, everyone staring at the spot that the recording had been.

"I don't think we need to impress upon you the…gravity of the situation," Windu said gravely.

"No…no the severity of the ordeal is obvious," Qui-Gon said slowly. "Do you believe that this…man in black is a Sith?"

There were some murmurs at Qui-Gon's words, and even Obi-Wan looked up at his Master sharply. The Sith had been extinct for a long time. One appearing out of nowhere right now…it was highly unlikely.

But after that video, that massacre they had just seen…

Obi-Wan didn't have much room to doubt that the man was anything _else_. The entire video screamed Sith, down to the brutality and the lightsaber cutting through innocents. But where had he come from? And where had those…_stormwarriors_ come from? Did this armored man know that a video of him had been created and sent to the Jedi Order?

"Sure of nothing, we are, for now. That is why, send you to investigate, we will," Yoda said sternly.

"_Just_ us Master? Against a potential Sith and an army?" Qui-Gon asked dubiously.

"Not alone, Master Qui-Gon. Other's we will send as well. But head the mission, you and your Padawan will. Discover what is going on in the Wild Space, as well as the identity of this man in black, you must. Mysterious forces are at work. Locate and identify them, we must," Yoda said gravely.

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><p><em><strong>Faa<strong>_

VADER stood in the ashes of what was left of the village he had just wiped out, kicking aside a hunk of scrap metal as he prowled through the sooty remains, treading carelessly over bodies and the remainders of the buildings that had stood here not one hour earlier. The strike had been quick and effortless, the blow blindsiding the civilians. It should have been perfect, an easy victory that didn't affect the element of surprise that VADER treasured in these early stages of his attack.

But there had been a flaw. A mistake that put everything at risk.

A failure that put VADER on the war path against his own men, namely the imbecile that had allowed it to happen.

A witness. A survivor. An insect that had escaped through his clutches. He meant to wipe out all of the natives here and make his second base on the planet, getting rid of the smaller settlements and working his way up before taking out the bigger, higher protected cities. He couldn't allow news of his crusades to reach larger populations—or other planets—so soon.

One of the bounty hunters approached VADER cautiously, halting in his place when VADER's head swiveled around to fix the man with his penetrating gaze. VADER knew the effect his mask had on his enemies and his men, and it pleased him. Their fear was refreshing; invigorating.

The bounty hunter—a general by the looks of it—snapped to attention, already tripping over his words as he delivered more bad news to VADER. "S-sir. The woman has disappeared. W-we haven't been able t-to find her. She's escaped with the r-recording. It's getting too dark to continue the search, so I called my men back to—"

VADER growled, the sound coming out distorted through his respirator. It still served to make the general tremble in his boots. Without warning, VADER raised a black-gloved hand, watching with a hint of satisfaction as the general tried and failed to gasp in air.

"I do not want your excuses _general_. I will not take such failure when our very operation is compromised by the mere existence of this woman's recording. By now she could have already sent out a call for help!" VADER snarled. The general said nothing, VADER's Force grip tightening around his throat until finally, the life left the bounty hunter. VADER let the man's body crumple to the ground, stepping over him without a second thought.

Jango Fett appeared, falling into step just slightly behind VADER. "Sir, the other troopers have reported success in their missions; no survivors. We're ready to take down the capital in our final strike. There is one last pocket of resistance outside of the capital, but it is not a large one."

VADER nodded. "Tell the other units to prepare for our final strike against the capital. Send the 501st to deal with the resistance. I want nothing left. And send the 314th to hunt down this survivor. When she's found, I want to know if she managed to get her recording off world. If she did, I will need to change the plan of attack…"

"It will be done Sir," Jango said with a brisk nod.

"See that it is," VADER said coolly, watching as Jango left to carry out his orders. He let out a sigh, turning on his heel to return to his private quarters on his ship. He had much to figure out.

Namely what he would do next if he was indeed discovered.

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><p><em><strong>Faa (Last pocket of resistance)<strong>_

"You there! Take those others and advance on their right flank! I'll come around their left!" Jango shouted over the sound of blaster fire that ran thick in the air. The ground exploded next to him from a cannon and he cursed. "I'm a bounty hunter, not a soldier, how did I end up tangled in all of this…" he grumbled to himself.

A small group of about 20 soldiers followed him from behind the tree lines, angling for a clear shot at the resistance's left flank. He waited until he was sure that the others were in position, signaling for the snipers up in the trees to continue their cover fire as he signaled the men to charge.

Shouts mingled with the sound of the blaster fire as they advanced, the cacophony of noise making it impossible to hear much else. Dust was thick in the air—dust that would have gotten in Jango's eyes had it not been for the mandalorian helmet he wore. Just as anticipated, the fire from the enemy split in two, and the third group came charging down the middle as they backed the faa people into a corner.

Jango was forced to duck and roll as several blaster bolts came his way, but the action only served to put him in further danger, wedging him right between the men advancing down the middle and the desperate faa people that shot wildly to keep the advancing army at bay.

One of the faa people noticed the general in the open and took aim, prepared to fire. Jango reached for the controls of his jet pack, preparing to blast into the air. Before he could, there was the sound of a blaster bolt just above him, and the faa native fell to the ground death.

"Cover fire! Push them back!" came a barked order above him, followed by the obedient response by the men behind, felling the faa people at a rapid rate. Jango felt a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" the same man asked.

Jango got up, a grunt escaping him. "I'll be fine trooper." He watched as the other men advanced, closing in for the killing blow on the pitiful resistance. These men were obviously devoted to or highly respected with undying faith in his abilities if they were so quick to respond to an order from him. It made Jango curious. After the band was wiped out he would have to speak to this man.

Soon they were picking through the resistance's remains, looking for any supplies, weapons, or information that might be of some use to them. Jango was sure to keep the trooper close to him, intending to ask his question once they were alone. He was distracted momentarily when he found traces of a call for help sent to the Jedi Council on Coruscant containing only a recorded video. Jango grimaced. Lord VADER would not be pleased to hear the news. Jango himself didn't like the thought of the Jedi getting involved, even with their army.

_I'll have to send someone I do not like to inform him of this development,_ he thought to himself. Finally, he turned to the trooper who had saved his life on the battlefield. "Trooper!" he barked.

"Yes sir!" the man said immediately, snapping to attention. Jango watched him for several moments, noting how the man did not break his stance despite the long silence.

"I want to congratulate you for your actions on the battlefield out there. Not many of the troopers I've seen have displayed the natural qualities of leadership like you did out there."

"Just doing my job sir," the trooper responded evenly.

_Smart answer_, Jango thought. "Tell me trooper; what's your name?"

"Rex sir. Private Rex."

Jango smiled. A private. Well…perhaps a promotion was in order. "Well I expect to see you first thing tomorrow morning so we can get some men under you in a squad, _Captain_ Rex."


End file.
